UWM Libraries Research and Course Guides: Dance: Visual and Primary Resources

Primary Source Collections

Primary sources include historical accounts, images, diaries, government documents-- any materials that were created at the time of the events you're studying. These resources will help you find digitized primary sources and artistic representations of dance.

Library Resources

Artstor
Artstor is a digital library of over 2 million images, including artistic representations of dancers, costume imagery, and photographs.
ABC-CLIO Solutions
Set of three databases of reference sources and primary documents, including photographs, related to the history and culture of African Americans, American Indians, and Latino Americans.
Early English Books Online
Contains page images of books printed in England before 1700, including dancing guides.
Eighteenth Century Collections Online (Gale Primary Sources)
Library of 18th century printed books, including dance manuals and images.
Gilded Age, The
Primary sources, including images and first-person accounts, from the period 1865-1902 in America.

Free Online Resources

Library of Congress Digital Collections
Digitized materials from the Library of Congress.

Newspapers

Newspapers are important valuable resources and can be primary sources for things like reviews of performances, interviews with artists, photographs, story ideas. Newspaper articles may include unique data for local areas, based on local reports or gathered by the journalist. Check out the following news databases for both current & historical topics. This is just a small selection of the newspaper databases we have access to. This link will take you to a more comprehensive list http://guides.library.uwm.edu/az.php?s=11492

Ethnic NewsWatch This link opens in a new window
Full-text collection of news coverage from African American/Caribbean/African; Arab/Middle Eastern; Asian/Pacific Islander; European/Eastern European; Hispanic; Jewish; and Native sources
ProQuest Historical Newspapers: Chicago Defender (1909-1975) This link opens in a new window
Full page images from the Chicago Defender (1909-1975) a major African American newspaper.
ProQuest Historical Newspapers: Chicago Tribune (1849-1999)
The Chicago Tribune (1849-1999) offers full page and article images with searchable full text. The collection includes digital reproductions providing access to every page from every available issue.
ProQuest Historical Newspapers: Los Angeles Times (1881-2000) This link opens in a new window
The Los Angeles Times (1881-2000) offers full page and article images with searchable full text. The collection includes digital reproductions providing access to every page from every available issue.
ProQuest Historical Newspapers: The New York Times (1851-2020) This link opens in a new window
The New York Times (1851-2020) offers full page and article images with searchable full text. The collection includes digital reproductions providing access to every page from every available issue.